


Glitter Love

by LouiseLouise



Category: 9-1-1 (TV)
Genre: Buddie First Kiss Week 2020, Fluff, Glitter, Happy Ending, Light Angst, M/M, No real person was harmed by glitter in the making of this fic, Prompt: related to pride, The author declines responsibility for any sudden appearance of glitter in the reader’s house, The kids are here too in the background
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-06-08
Updated: 2020-06-08
Packaged: 2021-03-04 04:00:30
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 2,633
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/24607363
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/LouiseLouise/pseuds/LouiseLouise
Summary: Who knew glitter would change Buck's life?Not Buck.Yet somehow, it did.
Relationships: Evan "Buck" Buckley/Eddie Diaz (9-1-1 TV)
Comments: 22
Kudos: 238





	Glitter Love

**Author's Note:**

> Written for Buddie First Kiss Week. Day 1: Related to Pride.
> 
> Thank you marciaelena for the beta, for your patience and your kindness as I struggled to make this story come to life, and thank you to everyone who supported me along the way. All remaining mistakes are mine, English is not my first language.

“Okay, one last one before we go.”

“I see…a giraffe on a boat!” Christopher giggles like he always does, pointing at the sky to what definitely is a giraffe on a boat. Or a tree with huge feet, depending on where you look from.

They've been laying on the grass behind Abuela's house, Eddie, Buck and Chris, searching for shapes in the clouds, the sun bathing the backyard, the silence only disturbed by a couple of magpies flying back and forth between the roof and the trees nearby. It’s peaceful, and Buck wishes every day would resemble this one. Time spent with his favourite people, no schedule, nowhere else to be.

But the sun is starting to fade, somewhere on a horizon they cannot see and Abuela’s friends from the scrabble club are soon going to come over. It’s time to leave, though none of them really want to.

One after the other they happily give in to her request of goodbye hugs. They let her hold on for as long as she pleases and pat their cheeks as they promise to come back soon, cherishing the warm embrace of such a kind woman. Then it’s just the three of them in Buck’s Jeep, driving back to the Diaz house. The silence is comfortable and gives them time to engrave the memories of the day in their minds, one they can think back to during long shifts and rough days, to remember that not everything in life is dull or painful.

Buck parks in the Diaz driveway, turning off the engine, not in a hurry for this day to be over. His phone buzzes once and he chooses to ignore it, wanting desperately to stay in this moment, with his favorite people. It buzzes again, twice in a row, harder to ignore.

“You should take it,” Eddie says, “might be important.”

Buck nods and fishes for the phone, sadness settling in as he watches Eddie get out of the Jeep, gathering the few items he’d packed for the day.

The texts put a smile back on his face in a second.

I FOUND IT, the first one reads.

Hen rarely uses all caps and that instantly captures his attention. And if it means what he thinks she means then the caps are totally justified.

The picture that follows confirms it and Buck smiles even wider, shooting her a quick answer, then another one, and finally lifts his head up to look at Eddie, who’s back near the Jeep to help Christopher get out.

"What's going on? Everything okay?"

Buck nods and turns to Christopher. "Hey, buddy, wanna go see something cool?"

Of course the kid is going to say yes, Buck knows that, knows it’s a bit manipulative of him to not check with Eddie first; but he also knows that sometimes Eddie needs to be pushed out of his comfort zone and this is the perfect opportunity.

“Hop back in, big guy,” he motions at his friend, “we’re going to see Hen.”

“Wanna tell us why?” Eddie raises an eyebrow, still standing beside the Jeep while in the backseat Christopher is chanting for his dad to _please get in so they can go see the cool thing_.

Buck shakes his head no, grinning, and Eddie rolls his eyes but doesn’t question him more. “Guess we are, then,” Eddie caves, reclaiming his place in the passenger seat.

They’re back on the road in no time, Eddie sporting an expectant look on his face, waiting for Buck to explain himself at some point, but the man keeps quiet, with just a wide smile as an indication of his level of enthusiasm.

“Okay, can you at least give us a clue here?” Eddie finally asks.

Buck grins and shakes his head again. “It’s a surprise, you’ll see.” He knows Eddie hates surprises but Christopher loves them, so today Buck chooses to let his best friend sulk a little, making a mental note to find a way to make it up to him later.

-

Karen opens the door and Buck hugs her.

“Yeah, yeah, I know it’s not me you’re here to see, Buckley,” she chuckles, sounding surprisingly okay with that. “In the living room, just follow the excited screams,” she adds, closing the door behind them.

Buck rushes inside, helping Christopher make his way to where Hen and the kids are seated on the floor, multiple cardboard boxes around them.

“Come on, dad!” Christopher shouts happily to Eddie, who’s still standing by the front door with tight shoulders and wary eyes.

“Yeah, come on, Dad!” Buck mimics, watching Eddie’s disconcerted look shift into something soft, the beginning of a smile at the corner of his lips. He doesn’t take his eyes away from the man until he finally joins them around the coffee table. “Come on, sit with us.” Buck holds out his hand to lead Eddie down and for a second, with Eddie’s hand in his, Buck forgets the world around them. He doesn’t let go right away, Eddie’s warm skin against his a comforting feeling.

They would be back in their respective homes by now if Hen hadn’t called and Buck feels lucky to have that little pocket of extra time to spend with Eddie and Christopher before the night comes and Buck is alone in his too quiet apartment again. He’s felt that way for a while now, his life always tasting better whenever Eddie’s around.

Hen holds a small red box under his nose, breaking his reverie, pulling him back to what’s at stake, and Buck grins.

“So that’s it?” Buck asks, fully aware that he must look like a kid who’s getting Christmas presents in June, but he’s not gonna apologize for that, or for the grin on his face. Hen’s smile is just as wide and it doubles his joy.

“Oh, no, that’s not _it_ ,” she says with a mischievous smile, grabbing three more boxes from beside her on the floor and setting them on the table.

“Go big or go home,” Karen comments, sitting next to her wife, picking up a tube of orange and shiny something that Buck pries from her hand right away, only to wave it in front of Eddie and Christopher’s faces.

“This, my friends, is the Holy Grail of every glitter addict in the universe.”

“Holy what, now?” Eddie tilts his head like it might help him understand what’s going on.

“This,” Hen explains, taking more tubes out of the boxes and spreading them on the table, “is a new kind of glitter that is said to not spread everywhere and come back to haunt your cleaning routine for decades.”

“Every year after Pride I spend days, no, weeks, finding some in my room or wherever I go. Pretty sure my locker at the firehouse is still full of the purple one from 2018,” Buck laughs. “Good thing that’s my favorite color.”

“Rooms, clothes, body parts. _Unaccessible body parts_ ,” Karen whispers. “People you cross paths with for thirty seconds. Your neighbour three houses down the road who waves at you when they walk their dog.” She speaks from experience, and both Hen and Buck nod in agreement.

“Yeah, that shit gets everywhere.”

“Language!” Karen, Hen and Eddie let out at the same time, and Buck mouths a silent ‘sorry’ as Nia’s already starting to repeat the curse word while shaking a small tube of pink.

Buck places a tube of purple in front of Christopher, and a blue one in front of Eddie, keeping the orange one he grabbed from Karen to himself. “I promise, glitter makes everything better,” he winks at Eddie who still looks skeptical.

“Okay, let the testing begin!” Karen says, earning cheers from all the kids at the table. And Buck.

There’s a long moment of silence as everyone opens the glitter tubes, smelling it or putting a hesitant finger in, not quite understanding its texture.

Karen stares at the contents of her yellow tube. “So is it gel or?”

“It feels like gel,” Buck says, rubbing a tiny pinch between his fingers, “but at the same time, it’s not?”

“It doesn’t stick like gel, that’s for sure,” Hen says.

Christopher grabs a lock of his hair with his sparkle covered fingers and presses until it turns into a shiny purple streak. “Look! Daddy, I’m purple!!”

Buck bursts out in laughter, until he catches the look on Eddie’s face. The man is smiling at his son, but his smile doesn’t reach his eyes and Buck can’t understand why, but he knows that something’s bothering his friend.

“You don’t like Buck’s favorite color?” Christopher asks, picking up on the same uncertainty that Buck is feeling.

“Yeah, yes, it’s pretty, buddy. Maybe you should try the blue too,” Eddie says, pushing the blue tube he hasn’t opened yet into his son’s hand.

Eddie looks even more lost than before and Buck has a moment of doubt, wondering if bringing the Diaz boys here was a good idea after all. The man doesn’t only seem to not be having fun, he looks almost uncomfortable just sitting there.

“I think we’re going to need more paper towels. Eddie, wanna help me with that?”

Buck hopes that once they’re a few feet away from the others they can talk and sort that out.

-

“You’re not having fun.” It’s not a question. He doesn’t want Eddie to feel like he has to lie about whatever’s going on just to not be a burden on the others.

Eddie’s mouth does that little twitch where he’s trying to keep the words and his feelings inside, so Buck waits for him to be ready to share.

“I don’t think I fit in all this,” he says after a moment. “I don’t know. I’m sorry, I don’t want to ruin the mood.”

“Why wouldn’t you fit, Eddie?”

“I’ve never worn glitter.” Eddie shrugs like he doesn’t care, but Buck knows it’s the opposite. He’s staring into the distance, avoiding Buck’s gaze. “I’ve never been to Pride, never really considered it, and it makes me feel... old and boring. Conventional.”

Buck can’t hide his smile. “Dude, you’re not old, or boring. _Maybe_ a bit conventional but who cares?” Eddie bows down his head, now staring at his shoes and Buck wonders how such a kind man, with so much love in his heart, can still see himself in such a negative way. Then again, that’s something Buck could apply to himself if he’s being honest, so. “Okay, you obviously do care. I can understand that. But, you know that no one is going to force you to do something you’re not comfortable with, right?”

Eddie sighs. “I know, and I’m thankful for that, for having you and such amazing friends. But then I see how comfortable you are with all this, and how easy it looks for all of you and-- and I’m jealous, because I want to join but I don’t know how. It's your world and I want in, but--” he shrugs, biting at his bottom lip. “What if I look ridiculous?”

Buck waits a minute, to be sure Eddie’s said everything he wanted, everything he needed. His mind is racing to find a solution, any idea to make his best friend feel better.

“Do you trust me?” Buck finally asks

Eddie nods, and Buck goes back to search through the boxes on the table for a minute, avoiding his friends’ worried looks. They’ll have time to ask what’s going on later if they still want to. If he can’t help Eddie step out of his fears.

He comes back and Eddie watches, mesmerized, as Buck dips two fingers in the iridescent gel. “No color, just shiny sparkles, okay?”

Buck feels Eddie's lips give in under the pressure of his fingers when he touches them, and he lingers on the bottom lip before pulling away. With his thumb he swipes some of the excess glitter and watches Eddie’s pout turn into a smile. It’s small and shiny, and if Buck wanted to kiss Eddie’s lips before that’s nothing compared to the pull he’s feeling right now when they’re glowing, sunlight reflecting on them as Eddie’s smile turns into a grin.

“Is this even edible, or are you trying to poison me?” Eddie asks, eyes locked on Buck’s, briefly fluttering to his mouth.

Buck stares back at him, knowing his friend probably expects a joke, anything to deflect the tension, but all Buck can think of is how gorgeous Eddie is, standing in front of him like this, his tongue darting out to lick his glittered lips. Buck thinks he would die happy if this was the last thing he saw, and he finds no reason to make a joke.

“I would never,” Buck finally says, voice serious and smile soft.

Eddie hums and Buck gets lost in his hazel eyes. Time seems to stop and everything goes quiet around them, everything but the beating of their hearts, louder than ever, beating faster as Buck leans in to press his mouth against Eddie’s, skipping a beat when he pulls away and waits, waits for Eddie’s reaction. Waits to see if he’s crossed a line and messed everything up or if--

Eddie puts a hand behind Buck’s neck, pulling him closer, kissing him back and Buck’s heart starts beating again, dancing in his chest. His hands find Eddie's neck, Eddie's waist, and Buck holds him tight, holds him as if that's the only thing that matters. In this moment, it is.

They break the kiss to catch their breath, panting against each other’s mouths, smiling like they’ve discovered the secret to the universe.

“See, no poison,” Buck manages to say in a whisper.

Eddie grins before pulling him back into another kiss, hungry and possessive, hands pressing harder against Buck’s back, until someone clears their throat behind them and they remember where they are and who they’re with.

“Yeah, so maybe hold back with that,” Hen gestures in their direction, “until you're not surrounded by a bunch of little kids, maybe?”

“But we’re very happy for you guys,” Karen quickly adds, the purest smile on her face as she covers Nia’s eyes with one hand and Denny’s with the other.

Buck takes a step back, losing the warmth of Eddie’s embrace with reluctance. “Hmm, sorry, we just-- we--”

“Got lost in the moment,” Eddie finishes, still smiling, and Buck never wants to see anything else on Eddie’s lips. Beside his own lips, that is.

“I think the glitter has magic powers,” Christopher states, his own hair now a mix of shiny orange, blue, and purple.

“I think it might, buddy,” Eddie says, smiling at his son before turning around to look back at Buck. He brushes a finger against Buck's glitter-kissed lips. “Maybe people are too,” Eddie whispers, just for Buck to hear.

Buck leans in to press one more kiss on Eddie’s lips, quick and soft, and when he pulls back he sees the peaceful look on Eddie’s face, how the tension’s lifted from his shoulders.

“You said you wanted in my world but you’re already there, Eddie,” Buck says. “With or without glitter.” He smiles and grabs Eddie’s hand, leading them back to the table.

“Wait, I thought glitter made everything better?”

Chris and Denny cheer in agreement, fingers stained with various shiny colors, and Nia joins in from the embrace of Karen’s arms.

Buck smiles, staring at the man he loves. There are so many things that he wants to tell Eddie, so many ways he wants to show his love, so he makes a new mental note to tell Eddie exactly how he makes him feel once they’re not in front of an audience.

Because glitter does make everything better. 

But then, so does Eddie. 

**Author's Note:**

> Thank you so much for reading this fic, I hope you enjoyed it!  
> Like always, I will treasure every kudos, emoji and comment I'll receive ♥  
> You can find it [here](http://theladyandthewolves.tumblr.com/tagged/my-writing) on tumblr.


End file.
